


The Candles

by uhpockuhlipz



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-24
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-22 22:21:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6095824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uhpockuhlipz/pseuds/uhpockuhlipz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Clarke works at Bath and Body Works and Lexa keeps buying an absurd amount of candles just so she can see Clarke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Candles

**Author's Note:**

> Listen, this sounds pretty silly, but it's pretty cute, give it a chance if you haven't already seen it on tumblr lol

It was so damn _hot._

 

Not the normal kind of heat where the temperature could be shrugged off and the heat relieved by opening a couple of windows. No, this was the oppressive, sticky kind of heat that could only be escaped with an AC unit and minimal clothing. Unfortunately for Lexa, her apartment complex didn’t run to such luxuries.

 

She lay on the floor of her living room with her eyes staring up at the water-stained ceiling above, wondering what she’d done in her past life to deserve living in a place like this. Granted, it was cheap, and it was close to the garage where she worked. Literally a five minute walk. But on days like this, when she was laying on the floor with all the windows open, three fans of various sizes humming out their rotations in different corners of the room, and next to nothing on, she wondered if maybe she should just spring for a more expensive place.

 

She was still contemplating the idea when she heard it – a rumble of thunder, a distant warning. She shot upright, head turning towards the nearest window. And she could see it in the distance, where the clouds boiled black. While she’d been laying there trying not to exert herself with any sort of movement, the storm had been building, moving closer to the city.

 

On the one hand, it would be a goddamned relief. A thunderstorm would finally rid them of the humidity that thickened the air and made her sweat if she so much as thought about moving. On the other hand, her building’s electricity was already pretty temperamental. Any time there was a thunderstorm, it was pretty much a guarantee the power would go out.

 

Lexa was still sitting there, staring out the window, when a knock sounded on the front door. She didn’t so much as twitch, nor did she turn to see who it was when the door swung open not five seconds later. She knew it was Anya without looking. No one else knocked on her door, and no one else burst in without waiting for an answer.

 

She and Anya had lived next door to one another since Lexa moved into the building some five years before. Despite her brisk, unforgiving attitude, she was fun to be around and they’d hit it off fairly well. And when Anya had learned of Lexa’s affinity for music, she’d been quick to recruit her as a bassist for her band. The heavy grunge metal wasn’t exactly Lexa’s favorite genre – she had a penchant for old school rock anthems – but it was still enjoyable.

 

“Shit,” Anya said without preamble, arms folding across her chest as she stepped up beside Lexa and glared out the window. “I didn’t know this was headed for us. The last storm totally wiped me. You got any supplies?”

 

“No,” Lexa murmured, blinking out of her daze to look up at Anya at last. “No, that storm cleaned me out too, the power didn’t come back for like two days.” When Anya held out a hand, she grasped it, let the other girl tug her to her feet. “But there’s time before it gets to us. We can make it to the mall and back before it’s an issue.”

 

“My little nature reader,” Anya drawled, rolling her eyes a little. “I’m gonna be pissed if we get caught in the rain before getting back. Are you sure?”

 

“I’m sure.” Lexa nodded, her chin jerking up as she faced Anya. “Am I ever wrong?”

 

Anya pursed her lips, considering, and finally shook her head. “Not about the weather. Fine, let’s go.”

 

Lexa found her discarded shorts and slid them up her legs, casting one more glanced towards the storm as she fastened the button. “Let’s go,” she echoed quietly.

 

//

 

They made it to the mall without incident. Though the thunder had been rumbling a bit more often by the time they pushed through the doors, it was still far off enough that Lexa didn’t worry too much. She might have been forced to move to the city when she was young, but she’d been born country. Farm country, so the ability to judge a storm was bred in her blood. Still, they would have to hurry to avoid the rain.

 

They reached the Bath and Body Works and split. Anya headed for the Target to stock up on their favorite snack foods and water bottles, as well as cheap wine. Lexa entered the store they’d stopped beside, immediately overwhelmed by the thick, mingling scents. Her nose crinkled. At least it was air conditioned.

 

She sniffed at a candle called “endless weekend” and wondered why people named them stuff like that. What did an “endless weekend” smell like? Sweat and cheap booze and regret?

 

“Can I help you?”

 

Lexa glanced distractedly to her left, ready to dismiss the worker because she knew how to purchase candles without help. But then she just… couldn’t say anything.

 

This girl was gorgeous. Unbelievably gorgeous, all pale features and sparkling humor that grew the longer Lexa stood staring silently at her. “Hello?” she prompted and Lexa blinked once, trying to clear her mind to find something to say.

 

“Um.” Smooth.

 

The girl – Clarke, according to the name tag on her apron – tilted her head, smile growing a fraction. “Looking for candles?” she asked quietly, eyebrows lifting. Lexa pressed her lips together and nodded slowly, glancing away from Clarke to the candle she still held. “That’s a good one,” Clarke tried, tapping the side of the jar. But you know, you should try… One second.”

 

Lexa nodded dumbly and stood just where she was until Clarke returned, holding out another candle to her. This one was called “turquoise waters” and Lexa took it, still silent.

 

“Matches your eyes.”

 

Lexa’s gaze flew up again, studying Clarke closely as she clutched the candle a little closer. Was she flirting? That had sounded flirty, hadn’t it? Lexa wasn’t sure. Clarke gave nothing away, just stood smiling at her with her head tilted slightly, hands in the back pockets of her jeans. “I need more candles,” she said abruptly. “For the storm. Could you help me?”

 

“Of course,” Clarke told her, and she crooked her finger at Lexa, gesturing for her to follow.

 

//

 

A little dazed, Lexa sat outside the store with two heavy bags on either side of her, trying to peer discreetly back into the store to where Clarke was helping another customer.

 

“Holy shit.”

 

Lexa winced and glanced up, meeting Anya’s gaze almost defiantly as she clutched the bags closer to her.

 

“Lexa, are you planning for an apocalypse? How much did all of that run you?”

 

Lexa winced at the question, her head ducking down. “Two-fifty,” she muttered, half hoping Anya wouldn’t hear her. She looked back towards the store again, could just make out Clarke by the register where she was laughing with a co-worker. Her belly tightened.

 

Beside her, a goggling Anya followed her gaze until she, too, was watching the blonde cashier throw her head back with her laughter. When her eyes slid back to Lexa, she was smirking. “You just spent two hundred and fifty bucks on candles… because some hot piece of ass batted her lashes at you?” She laughed, amused and exasperated. “For fuck’s sake, Lexa. I hope you don’t expect me to pay for half of those.”

 

Lexa frowned, swatting at Anya’s hand when she reached for the bag. But Anya moved too fast and managed to snag the top candle, which she sniffed exaggeratedly. “This one smells like ass. You are… pathetic. Just pathetic.” She returned the candle to the bag and set off for the exit, Target purchases shoved into the backpack she wore while she carried the case of water. Lexa quickly gathered up her candles and followed.

 

//

 

Inside Bath and Body Works, Clarke slid a glance towards the doorway again, disappointed to see the girl from before walking away. And it looked like she was with someone. God, that sucked.

 

“I still can’t believe you made that sale,” Octavia said beside her, obviously noticing where Clarke’s attention keeps wandering. “That girl barely said two words, but she bought every candle you gave her.” She grinned, leaning over the counter to poke Clarke’s side with a pen. “Did you get digits?”

 

Clarke groaned a little. “No. And it’s not like she’ll ever need candles again in her life so what are the chances she’ll come back?”

 

Octavia tilted her head. “True. You could always go work at Sephora. She probably runs out of eyeliner real quick.”

 

Clarke threw a lip balm at her, which Octavia dodged with a laugh.

 

//

 

The chances of her coming back were pretty high, as it turned out.

 

Three days after the giant thunderstorm, Clarke watched from behind the register as the girl from before walked in. She poked at the sample lotions, but her eyes were searching, scanning the store for something – or someone, Clarke mused, as a moment later their eyes met and Eyeliner Girl froze. Clarke tilted her head, raised a brow. Eyeliner Girl fumbled a bar of decorative soap, bent to pick it up again, and hurried away from the display table once she’d replaced it.

 

Clarke watched with interest as she began to sniff at the candles again, stacking them into her arms until she came to the counter with a total of five, half of which were scents she’d purchased the last time she was in. “You burned through all of those candles in three days?” she asked as she began to ring them up.

 

“I… No. These ones are… gifts.”

 

“Ah. I see.” Clarke smiled and rang up the next candle.

 

“…Fine, I just really like candles, okay?”

 

“Okay.” She rang up the last one and gave Eyeliner Girl her total, which she paid for mutely before taking her bag of candles and leaving again.

 

When she was gone, Clarke laughed and shook her head. She had a feeling they’d see each other again.

 

//

 

Lexa dumped the new candles onto her table, pressing her face into her hands with a groan as Anya looked on.

 

“Pathetic,” was all she said, constant smirk in place, and Lexa couldn’t help but agree.

 

//

 

This time it was only two days before Lexa hurried into Bath and Body Works, grabbing candles at random before approaching the register where Clarke stood, relieved the other girl was working again. She dropped the candles on the counter and winced when Clarke looked at her with amused eyes, head tilting in that way of hers that conveyed her question without her actually having to ask.

 

“I didn’t have enough,” she answered impatiently, and Clarke’s lips twitched in a barely suppressed smile. Refusing to be intimidated or laughed at, Lexa leaned closer. “I’m Lexa,” she told her, proud of herself for saying something that wasn’t about the damned candles.

 

“Clarke.” She tapped her name tag for emphasis.

 

“Right. I… figured.” God, she was out of practice. Resigning herself to another expensive purchase of candles she didn’t need, Lexa paid and grabbed her bag. Clarke’s hand closed over hers as she did so, however, And Lexa looked up in confusion.

 

From the pocket of her apron, Clarke drew out a slip of paper. “Been carrying this around in case you came back in,” she said, leaning across the counter to slide it into the pocket of Lexa’s jeans. “It’s got my number on it. Maybe next time you can call instead of buying more candles.” She flashed a smile. “Spend your money on drinks and dinner instead.”

 

Lexa blinked, looking from her pocket to Clarke and back again. Unsure of what to say, she back away from the counter with a nod and turned on her heel to retreat.

 

“Um, Lexa?”

 

Lexa froze.

 

“You forgot your candles.”


End file.
